What Santa brought…

Well, I’ll start by wishing everyone a very happy New Year and let’s pray that the weather Gods are a bit more benevolent in the UK than they were last year. Frustration with the weather was felt by many anglers if articles on the web and across the angling press are anything to go by! Surely, 2013 will be better?

On a more positive note I was lucky enough to get a few bits of kit for Christmas that I’m looking forward to getting out and using this year. Not least was this Maxpedition Sitka sling bag I’d been looking at for a while, largely with fishing in mind.

Last year I was tempted by a 30 litre Overboard rucksack which is great for a long day, when you need to carry more kit and are fishing in rougher conditions – it really is pretty bomb proof and does keep your kit nice and dry. The downside I have found with any rucksacks for fishing is if you are on the move and need to get into it quickly it generally means having to put your rod down and take the rucksack off to get access. A smaller sling bag looked like a good option for fishing on the move where you can move the bag round to your front without having to take the bag off your shoulders.

The Maxpedition Sitka is not the cheapest I grant you but reading reviews it seems to be tough as old boots and could just be an ideal multi-purpose fishing/outdoor bag. It doesn’t have the waterproof qualities of the Overboard rucksack and it does have more zips and strapping to think about but a bit of messing around with it at home suggests it will be a decent addition. For starters, at a squeeze, you can fit two of the large Snowbee lure boxes in the main compartment along with one of the smaller Snowbee boxes in the larger of the front compartments…. though that means little room for anything else! I suspect, to be honest, I’ll be using this bag when I’m taking circa twenty lures with me which should in most cases be enough anyway….. I always take far more than I use! That should leave me plenty of room for other kit. There is also a drink holder and space for a hydration pack which should be useful.

There are a lot of reviews of the Sitka on the web but not many I’ve seen specific to lure fishing so as soon as I get chance to use it a bit I’ll provide a more in depth review.

As for when I can actually get out fishing well I fear it might be a couple of quiet months ahead for any serious bass fishing but it might not stop me trying especially as I need to work off some of that excess festive ballast I seem to have accumulated!